Vandor, LLC is introducing 59 new products this summer, including 21-ounce ceramic steins and canvas wall art. All products feature one of Vandor’s A-list roster of more than 25 legendary licensed properties that have multi-generational appeal.

Twenty-ounce ceramic steins introduced this summer feature one of seven licensed pop icons, including Star Wars, Grateful Dead, Spiderman, and Vandor’s new license, The Simpsons. The over-sized mugs are expected to be a best seller for guys to drink their favorite cold beverages from. The steins are microwave and dishwasher safe, and broaden Vandor’s comprehensive line of drinkware products. Earlier this year, Vandor added ceramic travel mugs and sweat-free acrylic travel cups. Both are double-walled to maintain the hot or cold temperature of beverages.

Stretched canvas wall art debuting this summer features high-quality images of legends such as John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley. They are available in a large (11” x 14”) size and a small (6” x 6”) format. The ready-to-hang canvas wall art expands Vandor’s room décor collection, which includes wall clocks, fleece throws, and vintage metal signs featuring classic rock album art.

All of Vandor’s new products will be on display at major gift markets and industry shows throughout the year.

Mary Engelbreit Studios (MES) of St. Louis, Missouri, has entered into an agreement with HAP Consulting, appointing HAP as its licensing agent.

Heidi Packer, who owns and runs HAP Consulting, has been in the licensing and retail industries for more than 20 years and has a strong background in branding, marketing, and licensing. HAP Consulting will focus on casting Mary Engelbreit as a lifestyle brand. HAP will be seeking new relationships with MES and exposing its brands and artwork to a new generation of home décor and lifestyle licensees.

MES announced that John Mavrakis has joined the company as president and COO. A 20-year veteran of the greeting card and gift industries, Mavrakis will take the lead in the company’s new brand strategy, and will be responsible for identifying and developing opportunities within the organization.

Mavrakis’ retail operations experience as a senior leader at The Discovery Channel, The Body Shop, Banana Republic, The Gap, and Watch World, Intl., will further enhance his abilities to continue building the Mary Engelbreit brands and collections.

Stephanie Barken will continue her leadership role on the creative side of the business with the new title of creative director. The studio has hired Angela Clark and Pam Dobek as designers, reporting to Barken. Tabitha Harwell, a recent hire of the studio, has assumed the role of administration director, where she will handle all company administration duties. Alexa Anderson has assumed the role of art/product coordinator, managing the approval process and art communication between MES and its licensees.

MES also announced a new brand structure and strategy for the company. The evolution of the company involves launching two new brands created to bring relevance and sophistication to today’s bustling lifestyle while maintaining the whimsical appeal and distinct aesthetic Mary is famous for.

The Mary Engelbreit brand ushers in refined and pattern-based designs that are reflective of her eclectic traditional style. The Mary & Co. brand will focus on sales in the mass market and social expression channels.

Nancy Bailey & Associates, a leading corporate brand licensing agency and division of Beanstalk, has been selected by Electrolux Home Products, Inc. as the brand licensing agency of record for three of household brands, Frigidaire, Kelvinator, and Tappan in selected product categories. Nancy Bailey & Associates will work in conjunction with the Electrolux Global Brand Licensing Unit to extend the brands in the North American market. With more than 50 brands worldwide, Electrolux is recognized as an innovator in the appliance industry. Leveraging Electrolux’s success in both home and professional appliances, Nancy Bailey & Associates will be creating and executing brand licensing programs in an effort to extend each of the three brands into a range of product categories to include cookware, housewares, consumer kitchen electronics, barbecues, patio heaters, lighting, and generators.

Each of the branded licensing programs will be unique to the respective brand attributes and objectives of Frigidaire, Kelvinator, and Tappan:

For Frigidaire, the legendary home appliance brand known for reliability and customer value, the licensing program will introduce innovative, contemporary products to complement Frigidaire’s core products and appeal to a broad audience in North America.

Kelvinator will leverage brand licensing to reintroduce the brand to the U.S. market and lead the way for expansion of the core brand into new product categories.

Tappan is synonymous with excellence and innovation in the kitchen and responsible for introducing the microwave for household use. Licensed products will help accomplish the goal of developing a broader mass appeal for the brand and will introduce Tappan to new consumers across all demographic segments.

Discovery Communications announced it will launch branded Discovery Fit & Health consumer products, delivering practical, proactive health and fitness lifestyle solutions for health conscious consumers. The Discovery Fit & Health brand will be represented by Discovery Communications’ North American licensing agent, The Joester Loria Group.

The first partner to launch a Discovery Fit & Health consumer product line is Inovatex, LLC, which will debut a collection of branded bedding products including sheets, comforters, blankets, duvets, pillows, mattress pads and toppers, pillow protectors, and mattress covers. Set to debut fall 2012, the products are designed to offer health related solutions by utilizing the latest new technology, innovative fabric, fiber fill, and construction. Retail distribution will target department stores, mid-tier, and specialty chains in the U.S. and Canada.

In addition to sleep management, strategic partnerships will be developed with leading retailers and manufacturers across multiple categories, including fitness products, relaxation and massage therapy, diagnostic and consumer electronics, personal care, eyewear, first aid, and publishing.

Discovery Communications, Inc., the world’s number one nonfiction media company, formed new licensing deals with home textiles leader, Franco and Cosrich Group, Inc., the leader in licensed health and beauty products. The new lines will be part of Discovery Kids branded products, the No. 1 real-world entertainment brand for kids.

Through the long-term agreements, Franco has signed on to produce a comprehensive line of bedroom and bath accessories while Cosrich will create an array of children’s bath activity sets. The deal was brokered on behalf of Discovery Communications by Big Tent Entertainment, the North American licensing agent for the Discovery Kids brand.

The collection created by Franco will feature rugs, draperies, blankets, bath and beach towels, throw blankets, and vinyl place mats. The bath activity products from Cosrich will include soap, body wash, bubble bath, shampoo, bath crayons, sponges, stone paper sheets, fizzing bath rocks, and foam pieces for kids, using eco-friendly materials and packaging. Product will be available at mid-tier and mass retailers throughout the United States and Canada beginning holiday 2011.

The Sharper Image has entered into a licensing agreement with Southerland Inc. for specialty mattresses in memory foam, inner spring, air and latex as well as adjustable mattresses.

The Nashville, TN-based company will have rights to manufacture and distribute Sharper Image-branded mattresses to a broad range of premium retailers in the department store, bedding, specialty, club, e-commerce and mail-order channels in the United States and Canada.

Chapman Entertainment, UK-based producer and license holder for series Roary the Racing Car and Fifi and the Flowertots, and Walltastic, designer wallpaper mural company, announced a deal that will see the creation of wall murals for Chapman’s franchises.

“We are expanding our business to offer licensed products,” says Walltastic’s managing director Julian Evans says, “and Fifi and Roary really appealed as they hit the right target age group for us.”

Walltastic’s Roary- and Fifi-themed 3-D children’s murals are available now. Both programs air on PBS KIDS Sprout in the U.S. .

On the eve of Licensing Show, Scholastic Media (SM) has announced new deals for Clifford the Big Red Dog that will bring the property into everything from apparel and framed prints to musical instruments and even chocolate throughout the rest of this year.

Leading with apparel, Scholastic Media has aligned with Trevco Inc. for a line of Clifford the Big Red Dog T-shirts in infant, toddler, youth, and juvenile sizes.  For the home, Starry Story will offer framed and unframed Clifford prints and lithographs. SM then turns its focus on children’s music through its deal with Kidz Toyz, which will release an electronic keyboard with other musical instruments to follow. And finally, Healthy Chocolate, a sugar-free chocolate, will introduce various branded, mostly organic chocolate products.

These agreements augment an active period for the Clifford the Big Red Dog brand, which is currently in the midst of the second year of the Clifford BE BIG campaign.  The Clifford BE BIG campaign is a fully integrated cause marketing program that invites everyone to take action and raise awareness for how Clifford’s BIG ideas (Share, Play Fair, Have Respect, Work Together, Be Responsible, Be Truthful, Be Kind, Believe in Yourself, Be a Good Friend, and Help Others) can make the world a better place.

Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) Mr. Clean brand was introduced at the Housewares Show 10 years ago as the first household cleaning brand to be licensed. Butler Home Products launched the brand on a variety of cleaning tools, and Magla Products introduced the brand on a line of disposable and re-useable gloves. Licensing agency Nancy Bailey & Associates, continues to manage the licensing program for P&G.

Butler’s Mr. Clean products are the only cleaning tools in the market with patented ergonomic, soft bent handle grips and high/low cross action bristles on all of its brushes.

At this year’s Housewares Show, Butler will be expanding its Magic Eraser line with two new patent pending items. They will also be launching a patent pending cotton mop and expanding the range of Microfiber cleaning tools.

Magla is introducing a new re-usable Mr. Clean Fashion Cuff glove with an extra long printed fabric cuff.  The glove will be available in three assorted colors is cotton flock lined with a textured palm and fingertips for a secure grip while handling wet objects.

“Butler and Magla have been a tremendous asset to the Mr. Clean franchise over the past 10 years. Their success is indicative of their dedication to delivering innovative product that makes consumers’ cleaning lives easier. I look forward to many more years of partnership,” says Gayle Jones, Commercial Innovation and Trademark Licensing, P&G.